Jason spent 24 years as an air traffic controller at Los Angeles Center, and recently moved east to work in DC in the Airspace office as an air traffic subject matter expert. He is a Sport Pilot, owns a Rans S12XL E-LSA, and got his >87 knot endorsement so he can rent a C162. He's here to answer your questions about ATC procedures and rules, in a strictly unofficial capacity.

Had an interesting experience last weekend flying into a Class-D airport [KPDK>KAHN]

Arriving from the west with winds out of the west, my first contact with Athens Tower was to "enter left downwind for 27."Immediately after that, the tower repeatedly tries to contact an aircraft south of the field on a due north heading. No Joy.The tower advises me of the traffic and tells me they are not in contact with the aircraft. I announce "traffic in sight" as he passes in front of me about 1 mile ahead at pattern altitude.The tower then asks me to try and get a tail number. I could tell it was a Mooney but it was traveling must faster than me (I'm in a 162) and he was still a mile or so in front of me. While my focus remained setting up for landing, he passes through the airspace and exits to the north with no tower contact whatsoever.

My question is: Is this guy going to get off "scott free?" He clearly busted a Class-D and disrupted the traffic pattern as well. (Before he passed in front of me, they asked me to set up for a left base for runway 2)

We were running a Young Eagles event at AHN when all that happened. It sounded from the ground like the other plane (Cessna 340) blundered through the class D without contacting anybody. The tower finally got him, and he said he just wanted to overfly the field. Tower said negative, make left base for 27. Pilot gets pissy about it, then gets behind Flocker and nearly runs him over. Tower calls a go around for the twin, pilot gets even more pissy. Tower gave him a number to call.

The plane was on the ground about 45 minutes, then he was off again.

Again, not sure if this is what happened, this is what all the EAA guys on the ground pieced together. I did hear the call for airplanes in the area to try to get his number, one of our pilots landed later and said "F that, I'm not getting near that guy."

MrMorden wrote:It sounded from the ground like the other plane (Cessna 340) blundered through the class D without contacting anybody. The tower finally got him, and he said he just wanted to overfly the field. Tower said negative, make left base for 27. Pilot gets pissy about it, then gets behind Flocker and nearly runs him over. Tower calls a go around for the twin, pilot gets even more pissy. Tower gave him a number to call.

The plane was on the ground about 45 minutes, then he was off again.

Again, not sure if this is what happened, this is what all the EAA guys on the ground pieced together. I did hear the call for airplanes in the area to try to get his number, one of our pilots landed later and said "F that, I'm not getting near that guy."

You are correct about the Cessna. They asked to overfly which Tower denied. Tower told them to enter left downwind for 27. Cessna says "how are we supposed to do that without overflying the field?" (reasonable question - they were north of the field) Tower corrects and asks them to enter right downwind for 27. I lost sight of the Cessna until I saw him executing the go-around directly overhead. (I had landed on runway 2 and was crossing 27 to exit on B3 (first available taxiway) when the tower told him to go-around. The Cessna obviously didn't see me)

The Mooney was a separate issue all together. He came from the south transitioned to the north at or near pattern altitude and never spoke to anyone.

MrMorden wrote:It sounded from the ground like the other plane (Cessna 340) blundered through the class D without contacting anybody. The tower finally got him, and he said he just wanted to overfly the field. Tower said negative, make left base for 27. Pilot gets pissy about it, then gets behind Flocker and nearly runs him over. Tower calls a go around for the twin, pilot gets even more pissy. Tower gave him a number to call.

The plane was on the ground about 45 minutes, then he was off again.

Again, not sure if this is what happened, this is what all the EAA guys on the ground pieced together. I did hear the call for airplanes in the area to try to get his number, one of our pilots landed later and said "F that, I'm not getting near that guy."

You are correct about the Cessna. They asked to overfly which Tower denied. Tower told them to enter left downwind for 27. Cessna says "how are we supposed to do that without overflying the field?" (reasonable question - they were north of the field) Tower corrects and asks them to enter right downwind for 27. I lost sight of the Cessna until I saw him executing the go-around directly overhead. (I had landed on runway 2 and was crossing 27 to exit on B3 (first available taxiway) when the tower told him to go-around. The Cessna obviously didn't see me)

The Mooney was a separate issue all together. He came from the south transitioned to the north at or near pattern altitude and never spoke to anyone.

Ah...folks on the ground only heard snippets, we assumed the silent Mooney and the annoyed twin were the same airplane.

MovingOn wrote:I have no idea, but I suspect they will have ATC follow him to his destination or at least until they can get an ID on him. I'm thinking he can expect to hear from the FAA.

Don't you fly a Mooney sometimes? <joke>

I did until 8 years ago when I had a medical. Now, I just fly with my friend in his. We're going Friday to pick it up at the paint shop with a brand new total paint job. Implicating someone in an FAA violation is no joking matter.

I put the <joke> hoping you would not take it the wrong way, I guess it didn't work. There was no implication intended by me toward you saying that you violated any CFR.